The Formidable
by J. Caputo
Summary: The 171st Fleet of the Imperium is charged with brining worlds under the Emperor's command. Loki Sigismund and his men are the best at what they do: kill. However, on a world within the deep core of the galaxy, they may have met their match.


**The Formidable**

The night was darker than any other they could remember and the wind howled horribly around them as if to signify the brutality of the slaughter that was imminent upon them. In minutes it would all be over even before they had ever begun. It never ended this way ever. There was no explanation for the things they saw here on this mission. They were marines, made in the image and likeness of the Emperor of Mankind Himself. They were genetically programmed to fight, and also to kill without mercy. Blood was their reason and purpose. It was their sustenance, the substance by which they conquered and grew stronger together as an army and as brothers. There was nothing in the wide range of the universe that could deny them their victory in any battle, but for some inexplicable reason, a reason they had not ever been conditioned to think, their lives had been forfeit here on this strange world deep in the inner core of the galaxy.

Their mission had been a simple one: subjugate and colonize any inhabitable inner core world for the Emperor and the Imperium. Their ever-expanding Empire was to bring order and civilization throughout the galaxy under the unified Terran government. Their leader, a stout and battle-hardened marine name Loki, would claim this world as another affront to the daemons of chaos and those that walked in their shadow. It had been a bitter long journey through dangerous and uncharted territories. Warp travel had been overlooked in some areas due to the proximity of solid bodies. In the galactic core, their navigation computers couldn't handle the demand of plotting a course around the densely packed star systems and whatever debris might be in their way. The second they entered coordinates into the warship's navigation systems, it calculated a 99 probability that they would not finish the journey alive, having crashed headlong into some star or asteroid. Luckily they hadn't tried it and instead decided to continued the expedition inward slowly and cautiously.

Their fleet was impressive. They were the 171st Imperial Assault Fleet, consisting of many denominations of marines and led by the captain of the division, Loki Sigismund. Loki was a member of the Imperial Fist division and knew battle very well, having participated in numerous other conquests for the Imperium throughout the galaxy. He was also there when Horus, the Emperor's favorite son and appointed Warmaster, led his heretical Lunar Wolves to the very gates of Terra, the seat of the Empire. It was there that Loki assisted the Emperor in resisting Horus's influence and bringing the heresy against Him to its knees. His knowledge of war and decorated reputation made him a legend among the new recruits and a father figure to the more seasoned warriors. He was considered to be the best in matters of tactics and battle and nobody could wield a chainsword the way he could. When asked if he would lead the expedition into the galactic core, he agreed without hesitance and mobilized a fleet of troops at once. They left Terra and over the course of several months, made their way toward the inner regions of the galaxy. They fought numerous battles along the way, but never even surrendered so much as one drop of blood to their adversaries. Many worlds were taken under their crusade and the Emperor was very pleased with their work. They were elated and began to feel as though nothing could stop them. Until, that is, they came to a small solar system with two orbiting planets.

Their warship's computers constantly updated the information on the view screens. Tactical data along with statistics and demographics for both worlds was displayed on the screens of the huge chamber that was the bridge. Loki as well as the commanders of all the squadrons of assembled marines poured over the data nearly as quickly as the ship could display it. The larger world and the outermost of the two consisted entirely of nitrogen and carbon based gasses. The quality of air on the planet could not possibly support life and so the 171st fleet passed the world with only a glance at its reddish-brown clouds. In contrast the smaller innermost planet radiated with life and the warships computers served long-winded statistics about the civilizations there and their technology.

"Computer," Loki called to the ship, "Display threat statistics regarding technology and military as well as time to compliance."

The computer responded immediately, changing the view, zooming in on the planet as the new data was presented. "Weapons: Minimal Threat," it responded coldly, "Shields: Non-existent. Military Size: Minimal Threat. Calculated Losses: Zero Percent. Calculated Target Losses: One Hundred Percent. Calculated Time to Compliance: Less Than One Hour. Calculation Accuracy: Thirty Three Percent Reliable."

Loki nodded, clearly pleased by the results. "Alright," he said. "Computer, open communication channels to include the Fleet's frequency." There was a beep confirming the order. Loki waited until he was sure the fleet could hear him. His voice became hardened, the voice of a warrior, the voice of power, of confidence. "This is Captain Loki Sigismund of the Imperial Fist calling the 171st Imperial Assault Fleet. We are approaching target at the X-290 vector and will make contact in five minutes. All fleet personnel to designated drop pods for deployment immediately upon atmosphere penetration. Follow pre-designated operation procedures for standard subjugation and be ready to storm the capital building on my command. Tune your intercoms to Fleet frequency and be ready to follow my lead. We strike hard, we strike fast, and we will not surrender. We are the Emperor's sons, the Emperor's marines. Let's get out there and do what we were born to do! For the Imperium, for Terra!"

He heard a resounding cheer throughout the ship. Morale was important in beginning a battle. In many situations he could recall, it had made all the difference between victory and total annihilation. As Loki very well knew, doubt bred hesitation, and there was simply no room for that in battle.

Within minutes Loki was in his drop pod following his soldiers from the ship to the surface. On the journey down he called upon his experience and upon that which made him worthy to be the Emperor's son. The essence of war filled his blood and burned its way into his flesh. It made him hard, unbreakable by any means. This day, he was certain, would see the glory of the Emperor brought forth and used to give light to this world that lived in ignorance.

They landed in the center square of the largest city on the planet. They knew nothing of the world as their computers could not tap into the planet's network. They realized, however, given the primitive quality of the city, they didn't need excess information to complete their mission. Upon exiting the pod on the surface Loki rejoined his troops. Together they numbered five thousand men hungry for battle. The same fire that filled Loki's eyes was in all of theirs, showing their strength and determination in the art of war. Loki divided their army into five teams of one thousand soldiers including their respective captains, and the siege began.

The city special forces were slow to react to their attacks, indicating that their army was in a state of rest. Perfect. Loki grinned as he fired, knowing the mission might take less than thirty minutes after all. In his helmet he watched the timer count the seconds and he redoubled his efforts to fight faster in order to beat the clock. He could hear his soldiers over the intercoms.

"Like shooting fish in a barrel."

"- just took out a whole squad."

"- is too easy."

Loki frowned and spoke up. "Just don't get overconfident. Remember our objective."

On his visor, the armor displayed a path through the city toward the building most likely to be the capital building. As he gunned down enemy soldiers more arrived to take their place. They had barely moved a block south of the central square and there was already growing resistance there to meet them. _Seems like they weren't sleeping after all_, he thought. The enemy fired with weapons of some sort of concentrated, heated light. The bolts glowed red as they sped toward their targets. Luckily they possessed limited to no armor and were easy to destroy.

Loki took cover in a side alley between two buildings. From here the wall gave him extra coverage from enemy fire and provided an armored point from which to shoot. Not that he would need it of course, noting that his helmet's visor displayed the full five thousand soldier squadron was still completely untouched. With reassurance, he rotated halfway out of the alley and unloaded his machine gun's clip on the enemy forces. The death spray leveled the enemies in the street, sending blood and dust careening into the air. The enemies' bodies all but fell apart as Loki picked them off with accuracy and speed, all the while moving forward, leading his squadron toward the large building further to the south.

The marines finally reached the open square in front of the capital building and it was here that the enemy compounded their forces. As the first marines rushed into the flat, wide open square, the enemies' fire opened and gunned them down. Loki felt a hint of doubt at seeing the enemy's shots penetrate their thick titanium armor. He immediately pushed that thought away, remembering his own mantra. _There is no room for doubt._ He peered into the square and sized up the enemy. They were a large presence here, indicating that this building was important to them. They had found their mark. With a loud cry, he and his thousand-soldier squadron, now reduced to nine hundred ninety five, rushed the square and opened fire just as the enemy did the same.

The enemies were faster shots, but Loki and his marines were more accurate. Loki ran into the square and immediately began picking off enemy soldiers. He shot into the center of the square and cleared a path for his soldiers, killing dozens in one run. Blood sprayed over his armor as he ran into his handiwork, shooting the healthy and throwing the wounded aside as though they were dolls. He was much larger than they were, having been genetically designed that way, and their fear of him helped his odds. The shells poured forth from his pistol, finding their marks in the enemies' chests, ending their lives in the glory that is the human race and the Emperor. The looks on their faces was what Loki lived for in combat. He threw his weapon aside, completely empty, its ammunition now embedded within the chests and brains of those who resisted Terra. He pulled out his chainsword and brought it to life, the blade roaring with eagerness. He looked around at the progress of his squad. All over the square the enemy was dying, giving life after life to Loki and the Empire. Some of his soldiers had not survived, but they were acceptable losses for the achievement of the greater good. That was war. His army still poured forth from the streets into the square and soon they would completely overtake it and move on toward the towering building before them. Loki looked at the timer projected on his visor. 13:42. Plenty of time.

He turned toward the enemy, his chainsword awaiting their blood. They rushed him, drawing their primitive metal swords, ready for close combat. The first of the enemy soldiers slashed down with his blade and missed. Loki sidestepped the attack and at the same time brought his blade to bare in the enemy's neck. The chain activated and ripped the enemy's head off his shoulders, covering Loki in more blood. All around him his brothers did the same, mercilessly cutting down anything that stood in their path. Nothing stood against them as enemy after enemy was cut down by chain and blade. Loki killed two in front of him and spun around, impaling a third and decapitating a fourth, all the while cutting a path of destruction toward the building. In a few minutes the battle in the square was over and Loki sheathed his blade. His helmet gave a count of 4,153 troops remaining with a time of 19:20. _Almost there_, he thought.

"Reload your weapons. We take this building now," he commanded. He waited until the sound of clip and battery pack exchanges died down. He did a check on his blade to make sure it still packed enough energy to function for the next ten minutes and then turned toward the building. The only sound now was the wind howling through the square, as if the planet was mourning the loss of its people. Loki could almost touch the sadness in the planet's wind as he stared toward the prize. The setting sun turned the building into a silhouette, imagery that gave off an ominous feeling the longer one stared at it. Loki couldn't determine why everything was still but the thought suddenly gave him a bad feeling. He shook his head and cleared it once again remembering his mantra. Turning his chainsword on, he walked toward the building and his army followed behind him.

Upon entering the building the marines found themselves within a large open chamber filled with large shelves filled with datapads containing an unknown collection of information. The room resembled something of the Imperial Libraries housed within the Emperor's palace. The Imperial Library, however, contained books still printed on paper. This room's books were housed on a digital media not wholly familiar to the marines. Loki reached toward one of the datapads and tried unsuccessfully to operate it. Frustrated, he threw the device aside and led the squadron of marines further into the building. Aside from the illumination from the glowing shelves, the room was dark, completely devoid of life. The vast army they had encountered outside seemed to be the extent of this world's resistance against them. For all they knew, compliance may already have been achieved. Still, Loki heard no confirmation from the warship in orbit and therefore continued his trek into the building.

Above them hovered a holographic representation of the planet they were on and the moons that rotated slowly around it. Throughout the room there were doors to other areas but the most attractive one lie beyond at the far end. At the opposite end of the room from the entrance were a set of stairs that led up to a second level. At the top of the stairs there were two huge doors. Loki stepped up to the doors and touched the control pad on the left door, cautiously activating the mechanism to open them. As the doors slid open, the squadron glimpsed a large room decorated with banners hanging from the ceilings and a lush purple carpet on the floors. There were no seats or tables of any kind except for a podium atop a raised platform at the far end. It seemed as though this room had once been a place of gathering for the occupants of the building.

"Captain, are you certain this is correct?" said a voice from behind him. Loki turned to look at the marine who had spoken. "Positve," he said. "Our analytic machines indicate that this building is, with a 76 percent probability, the capital building that houses this world's governing body. But, it's strange. There doesn't seem to be anyone here. It's possible that they detected our incoming and evacuated the premises." Loki looked once around the room. "Spread out and search. They may have left a pointer to where they are hiding."

His squadron spread throughout the building, searching the ground and any overturned objects or damaged walls. They conducted their search in silence, except for the occasional leveling of a pile of objects or debris. In the assembly room Loki stopped to look at a banner that adorned the far wall behind the podium. It was barely discernible in the darkness. It showed an engraved picture of the planet along with an inscription that circled around the image. It was a national seal. Loki read the words on the seal and found, to his surprise, that the words were in a dialect of an older form of the Imperial Standard language they used currently. It read:

**Tython System, 2nd Order**

**The First Galactic Republic**

Loki read the inscription with some confusion, stopping at "Galactic Republic." This piece of the inscription infuriated him. How dare these infidels honor allegiance to anyone other than the Emperor of all mankind. If these really were men then they have been misguided by whatever tenets they profess to believe in. Their insurrection would end in compliance to the one true ruler of all men. One of the other commanders stepped up beside him, also glaring at the inscription.

"Ignorant fools," he said disdainfully. "Their transgressions will get them killed."

"Yes," Loki replied as he tried to relax himself. "But let's not be too difficult on them. Remember that they live in blind darkness without the light of the Imperium to show them the way."

"We will show them then?" the commander said as he cocked his gun.

"We surely shall." Loki turned then to a soldier in the squad. "You there. Destroy that insignia. I want the citizens of this planet to understand that the age of this Republic is at an end. In its place there will be the very image of the Emperor Himself."

The soldier cocked his gun and brought it up to his shoulder to fire. The shot exploded from the gun's barrel and made a clean run for the center of the seal followed by others as Loki looked at the impending damage, a wide grin plastered on his face. The bullets screamed through the air and hit something just before the raised platform, something solid. They ricocheted in multiple directions as if being deflected by a wall that apparently wasn't there. Loki held up a fist and signaled the marine to cease firing. The squadron looked puzzled, and they all looked to Captain Sigismund for an answer, an answer he clearly did not have. He was as confused as they were. On his visor, his suit displayed various statistics and calculated explanations for what had happened as well as planned trajectories for further shots that would be taken. According to the suit's computer systems, based on the flight paths of the deflected bullets, there was a slightly curved wall in front of the target that clearly seemed invisible or non-existent.

"Analytics confirm the absence of any kind of forcefield or magnetic repulsion system, sir," one of the marines explained. Within seconds his data was forwarded to Loki and displayed on his visor. The marine was right. Loki looked around on the floor and finding a small piece of stone, picked it up and hurled it into the darkness at the far wall. The rock struck the wall and fell to the ground. The computer in his suit confirmed this and displayed the calculated results.

"Again marine," Loki commanded. Once again the marine fired toward the insignia and once again the inexplicable force blocked the shots and sent them bouncing back into the group of marines. The marines ducked for cover. A bullet struck a marine in the head, dropping him, lifeless, to the floor. Loki noticed the count on his visor drop by one. Anger gripped at the sides of his consciousness and threatened to overwhelm him. The results displayed by the suit's computer nearly made him explode. The squadron stood, once again scratching their heads. Suddenly Loki straightened. It was possible that they weren't alone, and that someone was making a fool of them.

"Show yourself," he said definitively. In the chamber nothing changed. "Now," he added. He thought he could hear a slight ruffling sound in the darkness. He switched his visor to infrared. There in the darkness just under the insignia a heat signature took form and coalesced into the shape of a man. Loki switched infrared off so that he could get a better look at the man he was going to kill for his blasphemy. A man stood there where there had been no one seconds earlier. He looked to be ordinary, wearing no armor of any kind. He was dressed only in a tan tunic covered with a long brown robe. A hood covered his head, obscuring his visage. He walked a few paces forward, his boots making the only sound that filled the chamber. The marines raised their guns in defense and the stranger stopped at the edge of the raised platform. He raised his hands as if offering peace.

"I only want to bid you welcome to my home and to humbly ask your purpose here," he said. "I do not desire meaningless bloodshed." The marines somewhat relaxed their stances. Some brought their weapons down while others kept them trained, awaiting a proper order. Loki gave them the signal and they all stood down.

"Our purpose here," Loki replied, "is the Imperium. But first you will tell me who you are to have the gall to question us."

The stranger slowly removed the hood so that the marines could gaze upon his features. He was light-skinned and had a crown of short-cropped black hair. Human, like them. Loki's confidence soared. "You are human."

"Yes."

"Then you submit to the Emperor of Mankind, the one true ruler of the human race, and the seat of his throne on Terra."

"I recognize no such Emperor or his throne. And I certainly do not recognize his home world. I know not of this Terra."

"Oh, really," Loki said, grinning. With a flick of his finger, his men brought their guns up to bear on the stranger. It seemed he had the desire to die. The display in Loki's helmet labeled the stranger under a minimal threat heading. It was somewhat strange, however. This insolent rebel was completely calm. No elevated heart rate or uncontrollable nerve spasms. It was almost as if he knew exactly where this encounter was going to take them. Loki glanced at the timer. It displayed a time of 38:42. Still plenty of time to establish full compliance.

"What is your name?" Loki demanded.

The stranger's gaze grew suddenly serious. "Names are not important. We are here to conduct a certain kind of business, are we not? Issue your edict so that we may be on our way."

Loki's fury exploded within him. He practically shot the man himself. "You are hereby, in the name of the Imperium and the immortal Emporer, placed under arrest for conspiracy to commit treason against the human race. You will have to come with us."

The stranger smiled curtly. "Immortality," he said, "I know something of immortality the likes of which not even your Emperor has the humanity to obtain." The stranger removed his outer cloak and cast it to the floor. He wore only his tunic. A metallic cylindrical device was strapped to his belt. Immediately the computers in Loki's suit began to analyze it and report to him on its supposed use. The reports came up empty. It was a device that was not in the Imperium's central databank. "You come to my home, take the lives of these good, innocent people, all so that you can spread this insanity to the corners of the galaxy, and you are placing me under arrest?"

"The people of the galaxy live in darkness, stranger. It is the divine edict of the Emperor that we bring all humans in the galaxy into the light under a united banner, one free from superstition and heresy."

The stranger frowned. "But not one free from the tyranny of an insane ruler. Only one under the fallible edict of flesh, not one of divine freedom, the freedom of all living things, the freedom to grow as they themselves choose, to live and breathe as they choose."

"That is because they do not know how. The Emperor will show them the way."

"No. I cannot allow it. Your Emperor's rule is at an end. The Republic I serve will not stand to fall under such a shadow. I will stop you here."

The marines laughed along with their captain. Loki held up a hand to silence them. "And where are your allies?"

"My ally," said the stranger, "is the greatest of them all." The stranger grabbed the device strapped to his belt and, holding it tightly in his right hand, thumbed a switch that brought the device to life. They all heard a hiss as the dark room filled with a brilliant green light that emanated from an energy source that flowed out from the device's tip. The computer's in the marine's suit's immediately reported on what they found, pulling up figures of enormous energy coming from the weapon the stranger held. It was impossible that such an amount of energy could be contained there in the palm of his hand. The energy terminated about a meter and a half from its start. It looked for all the world like a blade of pure energy, its green glow sending a shiver up the marines' spines.

The stranger smiled once again. "Second thoughts, captain? I can sense your fear. Do not be afraid. It will be over quickly, I promise you."

Loki would end this now, this minute. This blasphemy had gone to far. Loki threw a pointed finger in the stranger's direction and yelled forcefully, "Brothers! Fire! No mercy!" The soldiers, their weapons trained with only the accuracy expected from the Emperor's genetically enhanced sons, pulled their triggers and sent a barrage of tiny metal destruction toward their enemy. In a split instant, however, the stranger brought his weapon up to bear in front of him and moved with such speed and precision that, though the marines' shots were on their mark, not one bullet penetrated his flawless defense. His speed was simply stunning and frighteningly unnatural. His weapon was a blur of swipes and thrusts, forcing the surrounding darkness into dance, bringing the shadows to life. The snaps and hisses were loudly discernible above the din of marine fire as the energy sword melted shot after shot. The marines could see nothing but a series of intricate circular patterns drawn by the weapons soft green glow as this warrior, who had seemed so normal, denied the very essence of that which made them worthy of the Imperium. Their fire ceased and only the dim clicking of empty clips was heard. The unnamed stranger stood straight, his weapon pointing directly at Loki. He smiled ominously.

"Told you," he said. The marines stood there, their mouths agape, not being able to believe what they had just witnessed. They had never seen speed like that before. Nothing in the universe fought as well as the man that stood glorified before them.

"Who do you serve," Loki demanded.

"I serve freedom. I serve democracy. I serve all living things."

Loki glanced at the timer. 45:00. Fifteen minutes with which to bring their enemy down and achieve compliance. "Brothers! We'll meet blade with blade." With that Loki brandished his chainsword, the blood of this planet's fallen warriors still staining its edge, and revved it to life. The chainsword roared, hungry for more blood. The rest of the squadron followed suit and soon the once quiet hall was filled with the rumble of the marines' weapons. The stranger bowed, as if to signify some kind of respect between two opponents. Loki returned no such gesture. This was war, and in war there can be no room for hesitation or softness.

A single marine walked slowly up to the stranger, his blade in front of him and the stranger took his attention away from the captain to bring his concentration to the fight. Loki watched closely. _This will be interesting_, he thought. The marine made the first attempt, striking high over his head at the stranger, bringing the chainsword down toward his head. The stranger quickly retaliated with an upward cut, slicing the chainsword in half, then quickly spun around and thrust the energy sword into the marine's chest. The marine dropped his weapon and fell to the floor, lifeless. Loki's visor immediately changed the statistics accordingly. _So_, Loki thought, _his blade can even cut through our Astartes-Grade Titanium_.

The marines rushed the platform in the hopes that numbers would win this fight. The stranger batted at them with a series of quick slashes and spins that it took mere seconds to cut down five soldiers. The stranger seemed to know their movements as they thought them. His speed and incredible accuracy made him one of the deadliest warriors in the galaxy. He slashed as he dodged cutting marine weapons and armor alike with a deadly sort of dance. His movements took on an elegance that all but increased his ability to kill. He would behead two in front of him then bring the energy sword to slash behind him and fell another two, all in mere fractions of a second. The bodies began to pile around him and the marines found it harder to reach him. The stranger put up his hand and the pile exploded outward as if a bomb had gone off, sending their brothers' carcasses slamming against the far wall, thus clearing more room so that the fight could continue. The marines tried their hardest to get at their enemy but every glorious attempt met with an equally disappointing failure. Severed limbs would fall from Loki's brothers before they slumped to the ground, never to awake again. Soldiers from other sections of the building, hearing the sounds of battle coming from the hall, rushed in to take the place of their fallen brothers. They entered a room filled with the scent of their brothers' blood. They too rushed the platform, activating their chainswords, and they too ended their run piled on the floor, headless.

The stranger began incorporating leaps into his tactics. He bounded around high into the air, moving quickly around the marines in order to clear any debris and get a better shot at tearing down their numbers. He seemed to only grow faster, stabbing one marine through his chest then appearing behind another almost instantly with his energy sword already completing a new kill. The marines dropped one after the other, and Loki, watching the count on his visor fall farther and farther, could do nothing to stop this incredible warrior from destroying his squadron.

The battle was over in mere moments, and soon Loki and the stranger stood face to face in the center of the hall amid the piles of his dead soldiers. Loki glanced at the count in his visor. It read a very lonely number one. Simply amazing. Never had he seen such exquisitely elegant fighting in all his days serving the Emperor. In just several minutes this lone warrior had managed to destroy a battalion of five thousand soldiers. The mission was a failure. They had lost. The Imperium was disgraced, Terra was disgraced, and the name Sigismund, a name almost synonymous with battle, was disgraced. Loki would not let it end this way. He glanced hard into the warrior's eyes, his hatred for this man threatening to overtake everything he knew.

The warrior's eyes narrowed. "I can sense great hatred in you. That, captain, is the pathway into darkness."

"Damn you to the daemons of the Warp," Loki whispered. "I will not let the Emperor be disgraced."

"If the Emperor employs tactics like you've shown me here today, then he has already been disgraced. In this sector of the galaxy, our alliance holds strong. Your Emperor will never conquer our people because he lacks the humanity to do so. But don't worry. All things serve destiny. It is the one constant to which everything is bound. Ignorance does not free one from its grip." He brought his weapon up to attack. Loki flipped another switch on his chainsword and the metal teeth glowed with an electric blue light. He flung the chainsword upward to meet the energy blade and it held. Unlike his brothers, the warrior's blade did not cut through. The stranger disengaged Loki and took several steps back, slowly twirling his light sword around him defensively. The chainsword revved and the stranger grinned. "This is going to be interesting."

"What do you call those with your ability?" Loki asked.

"We are beyone names. Just know this. We bring hope and light to those who desire it. We support our Alliance and secure freedom for our people. We are protectors."

"You've met your fate in me tonight, warrior. The blood of your people will cry from the streets until we have achieved full compliance."

The stranger cocked his head to one side, his expression growing troubled. "Why can't you and your men see reason? Why can't you establish ties of peace with our Alliance? Together we can form a powerful bond and flourish from each other's strength."

"There can be no such union. The Emperor of Mankind will not allow it. We were created to conquer, not to debate conditions of surrender. Either stand aside, or be cut down by my sword."

The stranger tensed and brought his energy blade up in front of him. "I once knew of men who dealt in absolutes. They were, of course, destroyed. You have chosen your path. I will do what I must."

Loki glanced at the timer. 50:01. Still time. The stranger made the first move, in a flurry of twirls he brought the blade swinging toward Loki's neck. Loki parried quickly, barely able to keep up with the him. He immediately counter attacked, thrusting toward his enemy's abdomen. The stranger sidestepped and spun, thrusting toward Loki's back, and was parried. They thrust and slashed, coming within inches of each other but blocking or side stepping every time. Their heated battle carried them out of the hall through the main chamber and into the open air.

It was dark outside, the Typhonian sun having just set below the horizon, covering everything in shadow. The numerous stars in the clear sky above gave an ominous warning. The wind howled through the darkness beating against Loki's back as he fought off this strange and strangely powerful warrior. Loki's military expertise and close combat training was quickly translated into a series of deadly maneuvers in an attempt to outdo his opponent. The stranger met him stride for stride, parrying just as quickly as Loki could strike and countering before he had a chance to defend. Loki was beginning to tire but his enemy seemed only to absorb more strength. Still his loyalty to his Emperor drove him on. He couldn't let this heretic spread his slander against the Emperor or against Terra. He had to be stopped here in this square.

The stranger's weapon hummed dimly as it sliced through the air and hissed violently as it met only with sparks from Loki's chainsword. Loki held his weapon against his enemy's allowing his opponent to bring his face close to his, close enough that he could see the warrior's pupils dilating and constricting, the fire within them stronger than ever.

"How many worlds, commander, has your Emperor enslaved?" the stranger demanded.

"None. The worlds that belong to the Emperor are now united under the banner of the eternal Terra. It is the right of all men to rule the galaxy. That is the code of the Imperium."

"I will tell you of another, more stable code. One I follow very closely." He released his grip and propelled himself several meters back, away from Loki. "Listen closely," he said, "for it may be the last thing you hear."

Loki revved his chainsword, mocking the stranger and his code. He took the the weapon in one hand and held it at the height of his eyes in an attack stance. He charged the his enemy, meaning to bring the spiked blade to rest in the warriors chest. The stranger simply smiled placidly, gathering energy to himself, seeming to grow stronger there in Loki's midst.

"You have emotion. Hate. Anger. There is no emotion, there is peace," he said. As Loki reached where he was standing, the stranger leaped over his head and slashed downward, his laser sword cutting open Loki's helmet. The two halves fell to the floor with a resounding clang. Loki turned and charged again. "There is no ignorance, there is knowledge." The warrior turned toward Loki with superhuman speed and put his free hand up as if shielding himself from a pistol shot. Loki froze and was suddenly and forcefully lifted from the ground high up into the air. His weapon came free of his hand and fell toward the ground below. Within milliseconds his enemy was in the air with him. He raised the glowing weapon high up and plunged it through Loki's armor and skewered his heart. Loki felt the life beginning to flow out of him. "There is no passion, there is serenity. There is no chaos, there is harmony." Loki fell to the ground and the stranger landed on his feet several meters from him. He walked over to where Loki was laying and bent over to look deep into Loki's deadening eyes. He grabbed Loki's collar and roughly pulled him up so that he could whisper in Loki's ear. The hum of the warrior's blade filled Loki's mind but seemed to quiet just as the Jedi Knight spoke. "There is no death, there is only the Force."

He dropped Loki back to the ground and stood. He ran off into the darkness and left Loki there to die peacefully. A war would ensue pitting the Imperium's finest soldiers against this mysterious Republic's warriors. Loki's anger subsided, and he was filled with a great peace as well as a sense of understanding. Such an understanding as this could only come at the point of death. Loki looked at his wrist. There, embedded within the armor was a time piece displaying the Terra Standard Time. Loki quickly calculated the minutes since the operation began. The timer in his helmet would have read 58:17. The operation had ended in under an hour, just as the warship had stated. It was the last thing Loki saw before death gripped him forever.


End file.
